Grand Theft Auto V: The Series
Alan Farchild Ann Backer Stan Jen Michael Hopps |directed_by = Eric Pann Ricardo Agana Philip Steven Nullbrook Edward Machipulary |starring = Neil Patrick Harris Steven Ogg Ned Luke Shawn Fonteno Joel Rooks |theme_music_composer(s) = Woody Jackson |music_by = Woody Jackson |opening_theme = "Welcome to Los Santos" by Woody Jackson |ending_theme = "Welcome to Los Santos" |country_of_origin = United States |original_language(s) = English |no_of_seasons = 5 |no_of_episode = 126 |producer(s) = Eric Pann |executive_producer(s) = Jonathan Bislock Sam Houser Leslie Benzies Imran Sarwar |editor(s) = Joseph Yune Thom Jordanson |production_company(s) = Rockstar Machinima |districutor = Trinome International Media |original_network = Game Channel |original_release = April 10, 2014 – present |picture_format = 16:9 |audio_format = Dolby Digital 5.1 }} Grand Theft Auto V: The Series is an American machinima television series based on the game Grand Theft Auto V. Created by Eric Pann and Jonathan Bislock, the series is broadcast on Game Channel. Synopsis Michael Townley, Trevor Philips, and Brad Snider partake in a botched robbery in Ludendorff, North Yankton. Nine years later, Michael is living under witness protection with his family in Los Santos, under the alias Michael De Santa. Across town, gangbanger Franklin Clinton is working for a corrupt Armenian car salesman and meets Michael while attempting to fraudulently repossess his son's car; the two later become friends. When Michael finds his wife Amanda sleeping with her tennis coach, he and Franklin chase the coach to a mansion, which Michael destroys in anger. The owner turns out to be the girlfriend of Martin Madrazo, a Mexican drug lord who demands compensation to avoid further violence. Michael returns to a life of crime to obtain the money, enlisting Franklin as an accomplice. With the help of Michael's old friend Lester Crest, a disabled hacker, they perform a jewelry shop heist to pay off the debt. Trevor, who now lives in a trailer park on the outskirts of Los Santos, hears of the heist and realises that it was Michael's handiwork; Trevor had believed that Michael was killed in their botched robbery nine years ago. Trevor surprises Michael and reunites with him, after tracking down his home. As time goes on, the personal lives of the protagonists begin to spiral out of control. Michael's increasingly disreputable behaviour prompts his family to leave him. When he becomes a movie producer at film studio Richards Majestic, Michael comes into conflict with Devin Weston, a self-made billionaire venture capitalist and corporate raider, who vows revenge after his attempts to shut down the studio are thwarted by Michael. Franklin, meanwhile, rescues his friend Lamar Davis from gangster and former friend Harold "Stretch" Joseph, who repeatedly attempts to kill Lamar to prove himself to his new brethren. At the same time, Trevor's reckless efforts to consolidate his control over various black markets in Blaine County see him waging war against The Lost outlaw motorcycle club, several Latin American street gangs, rival meth dealers, hillbillies, private security firm Merryweather, and Triad kingpin Wei Cheng. Federal Investigation Bureau (FIB) agents Dave Norton and Steve Haines contact Michael and demand that he perform a series of operations to undermine a rival agency, the International Affairs Agency (IAA). Under Steve's direction and with Lester's help, they attack an armoured convoy carrying funds intended for the IAA, and steal an experimental chemical weapon from an IAA-controlled lab. As Steve comes under increasing scrutiny, he forces Michael and Franklin to erase any evidence being used against him from the FIB servers. Michael takes the opportunity to wipe the data on his activities, destroying Steve's leverage over him. Eventually, Michael, Trevor, Franklin, and Lester start planning their most daring feat ever: raiding the Union Depository's gold bullion reserve. By this time, Michael reconciles with his family. However, Trevor discovers that Brad was not imprisoned as led to believe, but killed during the Ludendorff heist and buried in the grave marked for Michael. Trevor's feelings of betrayal cause friction within the group and threaten to undermine their Union Depository plans. Steve betrays Michael and Dave, and they become caught in a Mexican standoff between the FIB, IAA, and Merryweather. Trevor, feeling that he is the only one who has the right to kill Michael, comes to their aid. Despite not forgiving Michael, Trevor agrees to perform the Union Depository heist and part ways with him afterwards. The heist is completed successfully, but Franklin is then approached separately by Steve and Dave, who contend that Trevor is a liability, and Devin, who wants retribution for Michael's betrayal. Franklin has three choices: kill Trevor, kill Michael, or attempt to save both in a suicide mission. He chose the Option C, which is in a suicide mission. After a gunfight with Merryweather, they plan to kill their enemies which is Harold "Stretch" Joseph (Franklin and Lamar's enemy), Steve Haines, Wei Cheng, and Devin Weston. After they killed the three, Trevor went to Devin's mansion and kidnapped him. They took him on a cliff and killed him by pushing his car. They cease working together but remained as friends. After that, the series focused on what they are doing now. Controversy Declining quality On June 8, 2017, TheScreenPaintbrush published an article stating how Grand Theft Auto V: The Series is now lacking good quality in jokes, writing, and production, and that it "went the way of Fox cartoons", reusing the same material for comedy. Down and Out In 2017, the series was temporarily canceled following the ban of the episode "Down and Out" (season 4, episode 4). This was due to the depiction of two characters who were Hispanic, news websites considering the two characters to be racial stereotypes because of their heavy accents and obsessions with maracas. Screenwriter Thomas Crianga stated that it was not intentionally a racial stereotype, and they were retired musicians, hence their love for maracas; Crianga also stated that any assumption that it was a racial stereotype was wrong. By the Book On October 1, 2016, Filipino television network PhiNet aired the episode of Grand Theft Auto: The Series "By the Book," in which a character is tortured. However, the episode was rated PG. This was soon changed to SPG. International broadcast Category:Television programmes in the United States Category:United States Category:Game Channel Category:Programs aired on Game Channel